ON THE STREET; Before Dark

By BILL CUNNINGHAM

Published: August 30, 2009

One of summer's surprising successes is the long daytime dress. Its before-dark appearance calls to mind a remark made by the California designer Rudi Gernreich on a visit to New York in 1970. Then, the miniskirt was at its height, and Courr?s's
space-age dressing was avant-garde, and Mr. Gernreich exclaimed: ''They're wearing their evening dresses in the daytime in New York!'' Mr. Gernreich, known for the topless bathing suit,
was all about freeing women for modern life, and ankle-length skirts were not his idea of liberating design. But this summer proved once again that the customer is the ultimate judge of what passes for fashion,
and this year, she is in a romantic mood. Many of the dresses are in fluid jersey or cotton. Prints abound, and there is a strong trend for bold bands of color, and of course, black. Belts are rare, but a taxicab-yellow
cinch stood out.